Jamie McIntyre, Community Risk Reduction Manager, 509-435-7058
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 12:06 p.m.
Rosauers Supermarkets, Inc., a Spokane based grocery chain, is introducing new safety technology to its stores in an on-going effort to safeguard and preserve the health of its customers and employees.
On 23 November 2020, Rosauers began deploying Automated External Defibrillators or AEDs in all store locations in the Spokane area. An AED is used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. This sophisticated medical device is easy to use and can analyze the heart’s rhythm and deliver an electrical shock to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm, if necessary.
The City of Spokane Fire Department acknowledges the important role public access defibrillator programs play in potentially saving lives. “Early defibrillation saves lives in sudden cardiac arrest” stated Captain Mike Dawson, Medical Services Officer with the Spokane Fire Department. Spokane Fire commends Rosauers for making a significant corporate commitment to the wellness of the people in our city.
“At a time when we are all taking additional safety measures to stay healthy during this global pandemic, we believe providing AEDs in our stores is one more step Rosauers can take to protect our customers, community members and employees. Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and it can happen to anyone at any time. Having easy access to an AED can help avoid a tragic situation,” said Rosauers President and CEO Jeff Philipps. “Time is of the essence for emergencies like cardiac arrest. By providing stores direct access to these devices, if a critical situation occurs, quick action can be taken, until first responders can arrive.”
Rosauers will also enroll and participate in the nation-wide PulsePoint Response program, which empowers CPR trained citizens to help improve patient outcomes and save lives by reducing collapse-to-CPR and collapse-to-defibrillation times by identifying AED devices closest to cardiac events. Additionally, PulsePoint Response notifies verified first responders in the immediate area, simultaneously with conventional Fire /EMS response of a time sensitive emergency like cardiac arrest enabling critical life sustaining BLS interventions to begin sooner and with potentially greater success.
“Through PulsePoint, verified first responders will be made aware of the location of these potentially lifesaving devices in the event of a cardiac incident. Now verified first responders will have one more tool in their tool kit” Captain Dawson, Spokane Fire Department continued.
A total of 11 AEDs will be initially deployed to 8 Rosauers locations in Spokane and Suncrest, Washington, Bozeman, Montana and the Corporate Office. Employees will undergo training so they are familiar with how to use the devices, should the need arise.
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About the PulsePoint Foundation
PulsePoint is a 501(c)(3) public non-profit foundation based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through the use of location-aware mobile devices, PulsePoint is building applications that work with local public safety agencies to improve communications with citizens and professional emergency responders, increase civic engagement and engage the community to help reduce the millions of annual deaths from sudden cardiac arrest. Learn more at pulsepoint.org. The free app is available for download on iTunes and Google Play.
About Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Although a heart attack can lead to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), the two are not the same. SCA is when the heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating unexpectedly, whereas a heart attack is when blood flow to the heart is blocked, but the heart continues to beat. Each year, more than 326,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur, making it the leading cause of death in the United States. Survival rates nationally for SCA are less than eight percent, but delivery of CPR can sustain life until paramedics arrive by maintaining vital blood flow to the heart and brain. However, only about a third of SCA victims receive bystander CPR. Without CPR, brain damage or death can occur in minutes. The average EMS response time is nine minutes, even in urban settings; after 10 minutes there is little chance of successful resuscitation. The American Heart Association estimates that effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after SCA, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
